Legislation to Dispose of DC Govt owned vacant properties

Well we'll see where this goes.....
Councilmember Elissa Silverman has introduced some legislation that is supposed to deal with all the vacant properties that the DC Government owns. The legislation is called "Property Disposition Reform Amendment Act of 2017" and you can find the proposed legislation at this link.

The way I read it, there is a catch. Not a horrible catch, but a catch. Check out line 77 section 8B where it mentions something about residents with an income at or below 120% of the AMI. The 2016 AMI is $108,600, but if you want to get into household size and all that, check out this PDF. So she threw in a affordable housing idea. It doesn't appear it is a requirement.

I do hope it is like the way HUD disposes of property, giving possible owner occupant first dibs and then letting everyone else try for it afterwards to do whatever they want with it.

Washington City Paper article about DHCD thwarting DC City Council

This sort of relates to my belief that the city government is not always the best landholder. See DHCD Refuses to Comment on Derelict D.C.-Owned Anacostia Houses

1538 9th St NW- Off the list

The National Park Service FINALLY, finished the home of Carter G. Woodson.
I posted about the problem the structure was in February 2014.

3 years ago the property was a problem. The NPS put up a fence that was supposed to keep the homeless men who used the basement and door/window wells as a hang out and sleeping area. However, it extended out to the street blocking the sidewalk. So if you wanted to walk down 9th you had the option of walking in the street or crossing around 4-6 lanes to the other side.

Ten years ago, the blogs original author Ed mentioned it, and it was abandoned then too. Previously it was owned by Shiloh Baptist Church which still owns many, many crumbly 9th Street properties with no shame and no real plan. It was acquired by NPS in 2005.

Usually I complain about DC government properties that stay vacant for-ever, when no one has any idea what will happen to the property. When the federal government, the NPS, purchased it, there was a plan. But that was 12 years ago. Over a DECADE. So in the case of already vacant properties, remember this and a dozen other places around the city and things tagged "government" when even entertaining the suggestion that the city or the federal government take over, unless you're into waiting a decade or more for change.

Now don't plan a trip to the Carter G. Woodson house just yet. It still is not open to the public as of yet. It's safe enough for the NPS to let in a few VIPs for special visits. Good enough to me.


HT: DCist

448 Q Street NW- Looks vacant to me

I've passed by 448 Q Street NW many times and found the lack of stairs to the front door odd (notice in the 2004 photo left).
According to DCRA's PIVS the inspector does come out once a year since 2014 and most of the time it is cited as vacant. One year, 2015, it was noted as occupied. Only the adjacent neighbors know for sure because the lack of stairs into the front a home (I know this sounds crazy) does not necessarily mean it isn't occupied. There is always the back door. All I know is when I come by, Summer, Winter, or Fall, day or night, I see no signs of life, just maintenance.
When I look for the latest sale date I see 1901! Yes, according to DCRA's PIVS the last date of sale was over 100 years ago. Going over to the tax assessors website, there is no date but I see the owner, Andres R. Alquinta is receiving the Senior Citizen Homestead deduction. Yeah..... my aunt was 102 when she died and has been paying that discounted homestead deduction after her death, so I'll have to dig further to see if the owner is still alive, or more than likely dead like my beloved great-aunt.
Looking at the paper trail, it appears Alquinta is out of the picture and hasn't signed for anything in this century. He (I'll just assume male) has a guardian, as one might have as one enters the twilight of one's life and that guardian has been dealing with what looks to be developers MSC Development and the 448 Que Partnership.
I'll keep my eye on this one. If there is an elderly person living here using the rear please alert me so I can take this post down.

NOTE: I have the memory of a gnat- I've posted on this house before.

1801-1803 6th St NW- Now a vacant lot

Just a quick note. 1801-1803's townhouses have been torn down and now are technically a vacant lot.
I don't really do vacant lots here. They are less of a concern than vacant structures.
So off the list they go.

1801-1803 6th St NW- New thing

Well the last thing I posted here was 1801-1803 6th Street, NW and I was meaning to post other properties, but I noticed a new thing today on my way to the Shaw/Howard metro. This!
I saw the brick and I thought, "So it finally collapsed." Nope. I have no idea where those bricks came from. maybe the kitty I saw last time did it. Instead I saw what is pictured. I'm not sure what is going on here. The plywood against the fence is new.
I should note, that the next time I look this property up on the tax database, it is 1801-1806 6th St NW. All owned by  David E. Samuel, whose address is listed as 1801 6th St W. Don't know how he's getting any mail since there ain't no mailbox there. And in the database the lot number is 0058. Historically, 1801 is lot 27, 1803 lot 28, and 1805 lot 29. Also I think 1806 is a typo, as this is the odd numbered side of the street.... Whatever it is, it is not taxed at the vacant property rate. And what is in the database looks, incorrect.

Looking at another resource, David E. Samuel bought 1803 6th Street from 1901 D St LLC in May of 2008. For 1801 6th Street, he's E. David Samuel and it looks like he's owned it since the 1990s. And 1805 is not a part of this. 1806 is on the other side of the street and it's condos.

DCRA's PIVS has something interesting for 1801 6th Street. In 2008 it got a permit for "Demolition of two non-load bearing (front and rear) exterior brick veneer walls and rebuilding same non-load bearing walls." In 2014 a Construction/Fence permit ( F1400130) to put up a "Temporary 6' chain link construction fence installed at site perimeter." In 2015 it got a Construction/Raze for a "TWO STORY BRICK SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING" (R1400153).  Well the fence is up. There are other permits, one received in December 2016 to extend the raze permit and this year an electrical permit (E1702856). There are no permits for 1803 6th St NW. Last year it appears someone was set to inspect the property (SVP1601799) but it was cancelled, or something happened. 

There are ways of avoiding the vacant property tax rate. Permits are one way. Neighbors should keep an eye on this property, as it has been vacant for a number of years and nothing done.